Bike Reviews

Some people demand the best: An ordinary Mercedes won’t do, so they crave an SLR-McLaren. Cervélo’s Rca is made for equally discerning cyclists. The company produced only 325 of the $10,000 frame-and-fork packages. Of those, one went to 2012 Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal, who rides for the Cervélo-sponsored Garmin-Sharp team.

This bike’s status as a technological marvel derives from the rare materials used to build it—many are borrowed from aerospace products—and subtle aero shaping. It’s also one of the lightest frames we’ve ever tested (Cervélo claims a size 54 weighs 667 grams, including its stealthy black paint and hardware). Despite its gossamer frame, the Rca is as rigid as some heavier models, and its tubes give it an edge over bikes with traditional frames, without an aero appearance.

I tested the bike with Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR wheels, which enhanced the Rca’s remarkable stiffness. It didn’t pummel me with vibrations unless I hit a particularly large bump. Instead, I felt directly connected to the wheels—the front for precise handling, the rear for instant acceleration.

The bike’s feathery ride made it easy to steer around ­potholes with not much more than subtle weight shifts and flicks of the handlebar. Its maneuverability and rigidity also helps to make it a fun bike to descend on; I could tear into corners without hesitation.

But it took a few rides for me to master that quick handling and feathery feel. The bike is so light that it ­initially felt ­delicate and shifty—and hitting a crack in the road with my hands off the bar nearly sent me careening off the road. Eventually I adjusted to the ride, but it also helped me to realize that I prefer a more solid-­feeling frame, even if it requires added weight. Not everyone agrees with me: Test director Matt Phillips also rode an Rca and calls it the best pure race bike he has ever ridden.

Cervélo recently completed its limited run of 325 bikes at its ­composites facility in California. Subtracting Hesjedal’s frame leaves just 324 for purchase. If you want a light, stiff, aero ride and can afford the finer things, choose the Rca, and don’t wait.—Andrew J. Bernstein